


unnecessary distractions

by rndmcrpydnt



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Gen kisses Senku, M/M, less angsty than I originally wanted it, more bittersweet than sad, still like how it turned out tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:22:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23796088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rndmcrpydnt/pseuds/rndmcrpydnt
Summary: "Of course we don't need relationships." Gen laughed in amusement at Senku's question. It wasn't his laugh that bothered Senku. No. How could he ever let himself feel unsettled at the very thing that made the butterflies in his stomach flutter like bamboo leaves in strong winds.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	unnecessary distractions

"Hey, Taiju," Senku called out to his friend who tended to his field. The bright sun hovered over them, blessing the duo with its comforting warmth. "Why haven't you confessed to Yuzuriha yet?"

"Because it doesn't feel right to me at this moment. I wouldn't feel like a man if I confessed my feelings for her when we're in a situation where everything isn't what it used to be," He answered simply with his loud voice. "I'd feel like a coward saying goodbye or having a safety net of telling her I love her in case things don't turn out the way we want to. But that won't be the case so I'm happy to patiently wait for the right time. It isn't wrong to love. It also isn't wrong to wait nor is it wrong to be direct. I'm just going at my own pace because I know where I'm ending up anyway."

"Ten billion percent illogical as always," Senku sighed. "But whatever floats your boat."

"Why do you ask?" Taiju stood up straight and looked at his best friend in the eye. Taiju may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but he could be awfully perceptive sometimes when it came to Senku. "Do you like someone?"

"Hell no, you big oaf." Senku threw him a look of disgust before throwing his head back to look at the clear, blue sky and bask in the warm caress of the sunlight.

"Okay!"

°

"Kohaku," Senku called out in a quiet voice to the lioness who sat with him in front of a crackling fire that fiercely fought against the cold night wind. "Do you remember what I said when I misinterpreted your words after you said that you liked me when we got that tree off you?"

"Yeah, what about it?" He rested his chin on his palm and stared at the dancing flames that moved with dangerous grace.

"Do you agree with I said?" He finally asked after a moment of hesitance and Kohaku frowned at his inquiry but took a moment to think.

"Not really. Sure relationships can cause trouble but they're not illogical at all. Is there anything illogical with being with someone you trust and love? Having someone by your side in a way that's special and different from other people in your life can make you stronger and more determined to run towards your goals. Being in a relationship doesn't have to be always exciting or troublesome, that it makes you irrational and reckless. If you're with the right person then you feel should feel secure enough that even the craziest ideas will look perfectly sound because you trust them so much. If you want to be with someone, then be with them no matter the circumstance."

"You seem to know a lot. Never thought you'd be the romantic type." Senku teased her with a smirk that resulted in her getting irked and spouting threats that of course scared him knowing that she would go through with them.

"Is there someone you're interested in?" Kohaku questioned in amusement and curiosity as Senku's mind appeared to be drifting to a faraway place as his red eyes stared at the starry night sky.

"Absolutely not." He quickly shot down with a scowl on his face that faded into neutrality as his mind returned to a serene plane amongst the stars that shined in the dark and pointed him to the right directions.

°

"I just don't get them. What do they mean by me talking about my true feelings to Ruri? She may be the village priestess but her responsibilities don't include listening to my life problems." Chrome ranted to Senku who rolled his eyes at the other's obliviousness.

"Be careful, you might sink and drown seeing how dense you are." He warned as he watched Chrome disappear under the surface to collect more seaweed and Senku followed. When they were satisfied with the amount of sea plants they have gathered to make more soap, they returned to the shore where Senku immediately shivered as the cool beach breeze tickled him.

"This is better." He hummed in delight as he laid himself over the warm sand under the shade of a makeshift umbrella they made out of fallen, dried, coconut tree leaves. "Hey, Chrome, what do you think of relationships?"

"Romantic ones or relationships with other people in general?"

"The former."

"Eh, they're not really important especially with how we are right now. We have so much to do and so little time that I think putting in effort and giving attention to something that isn't a need just sounds tiring. Being in a relationship means you have to be committed and devoted just to make sure the person you love is always happy. If you can't make them happy all the time and instead make them sad and burden them with having to understand your situation then what's the point of your relationship? Even if you trust and understand each other a lot that you don't need a lot of interactions there might be a time where one gets tired of waiting. If you love somebody then you shouldn't really make them feel like they're not an important priority or that they're second to something else you want to accomplish in your life. I don't know I've never really been in one and all I know is from stories but if we're talking about what I think of relationships right now, then that was that."

"I see, you gave some logical reasons there." Senku complimented. He spread his arms out to indulge himself in the warm sand to get rid of the chills he got from the cold waters.

"Are you thinking of being in one or are you trying to make me figure something out?" Chrome questioned in suspicion and Senku responded with a snort.

"Think." Was all he replied as he surveyed the waves crash against the shore and wash away their footprints from where they emerged, leaving a perfect, smooth landscape free from troubles.

°

"What troubles you, Senku?" Ruri offered him, a kind and gentle smile that matched her manner of asking.

"Nothing, really." Ruri simply stared at him and he gave out a sigh. "Okay, maybe I am a little confused."

"That itself is troubling to hear." He couldn't help but give a small laugh. "Would you mind telling me about your problem? Maybe I could help."

"I've been by a lot of heat sources this past week. I've spent time under the bright sun, I've sat next to a raging fire, and I've laid on warm sand and yet, I still feel cold."

"There's a story in the hundred tales that your father passed down that goes somewhat like that. There wad a man who felt so cold no matter how hot it got in the summer or how much time he spent next to large fires, there was always this creeping cold that followed him. One day he met a bear who helped him from a band of thieves and the bear shared that they hadn't slept for days because they had trouble falling asleep as they usually slept with a stuffed toy to hug but they had lost it some time ago. The man, who wanted to help the bear, offered to be a replacement if it meant that the bear would be able to sleep. That night, he finally found warmth in the bear's embrace and the bear finally rested well with the man to hold."

"That was weird, my old man definitely made that story." Senku laughed.

"Now tell me what really bothers you." His laughs came to a halt and Ruri just gave him an innocent grin

"Ruri, what if you were stuck with a decision to make and you're being pulled into different directions where one side tells you something you want but don't need to hear and the other tells you what you need but don't want to hear?"

"Then you look for a compromise." She answered simply. "We often think that when our heart and mind battle to fight for one way then we have to let go of one to pursue the other. Many often forget that sometimes, some of our problems give us the luxury of choosing an in-between. Of course, this can't apply to everything but if you can, see if you can reach a conclusion that makes you happy and is logical. Another thing to note is to forget ourselves and our wants and needs for a moment and also think of how our choices affect those around us directly and indirectly. Consider what they would feel as well and think if that decision is yours to make alone or is it something that could decide with someone else. Balance everything as much as you can and all will be well." Senku gazed ahead as he took in and meticulously examined her words and the meaning behind them. After a while, the answer dawned on him and he closed his eyes in embarrassment as he realized the crucial factor that he had overlooked that reduced the solution to its simplest form but the process even more complex and nerve wracking to Senku. Ruri seemed to take delight in the humiliation of the usually cool scientist and let out a small chuckle at his frustrated groan.

"I guess I'll take my leave." Senku thanked her and watched her depart with some of the heavy weight off his chest.

°

"Gen, we don't need relationships, right?" Senku could feel his ears burning. For the past week he had been haunted by thoughts of the man in everything he saw. The sky and clouds reminded him of how sneaky Gen could be but also how he could make everything confusing clear as crystal to him. The starry sky reminded him of how ancient humans used them as compasses and how Gen seemed to always nudge him into the right directions. The waves clearing away disturbances in the sand reminded him of how Gen had the ability to clear his mind of any troubles and make him feel at peace. Senku would say that the mentalist was also very much like every heat source he had complained to Ruri about. It wouldn't be much of a risk to say Gen was like the sun that brightened up his days, or like the graceful dancing fires that brought life or destruction depending on how its abilities is used, and the sand that stretched out for miles that cannot be held tightly into one's grip. Their failure to provide warmth brought his attention to how warm and cozy it felt to be in Gen's presence. Senku knew what he wanted but he wasn't sure if it was what he needed.

He didn't know if it was what he deserved.

"Of course we don't need relationships." Gen laughed in amusement at Senku's question. It wasn't his laugh that bothered Senku. No. How could he ever let himself feel unsettled at the very thing that made the butterflies in his stomach flutter like bamboo leaves in strong winds. It was how he laughed like he didn't care even a bit for what they were talking about that bothered him.

"They're pointless and troublesome that I never want to be in one." Gen's words filled with distaste made him falter. Was that what he really thought? Did he make a mistake in assuming Gen's feelings simply because of what happened at his birthday? Even when at that moment where he could feel his heart slowly shattering, Senku could not stop the broken pieces from going wild at the sound of his airy laugh and the playful smile on his face. "I can't imagine the nuisance of having to commit to somebody. Can you imagine devoting yourself wholly to one person?" His cruel laugh scared Senku. He expected Gen to answer something like how relationships weren't needed but were still important or something similar but this was an unexpected response. His plan was just to tell Gen he loved him but he wasn't going to ask him to be in a relationship because it was a decision both of them had to make but Gen's response was downright unlike how Senku knew him. He could be lying but Senku knew that he wasn't even if it looked so unlike Gen. But you know what,fuck it. He had a plan and he was going to go through with it.

"I like you, Gen." He sharply cut off the other's rant. "I like you more than I thought I could like somebody and now that I know where you stand when it comes to relationships I won't ask you to be my boyfriend. I just wanted to let you know."

"Yeah, relationships were always stupid, boring, and pointless." Gen agreed.

He took Senku by surprise by cupping the younger's face with his hands and giving him a chaste kiss on the corner of his lips.

"Well, that's what the old me would say if you asked me that when we first met." He really did love and hate how those mischievous bluish-grey eyes could take one glance and read him like an open book and understand him in a flash. "But, even so, you don't need a relationship right now. It'd only serve to be an unnecessary distraction to you in our situation, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah," Senku murmured. Gen gave him one last grin before letting go of his face and saying goodbye.

Senku watched him leave, and he was oddly content with what had happened.

**Author's Note:**

> that was the original and I wrote a different ending but I liked that one better but have the alternate ending as a treat seeing as this was the less angsty version.
> 
> "Well, that's what the old me would say if you asked me that when we first met. Now, I'm willing to open my heart to another but I know that you're the one who's not sure on what to think about relationships, Senku." He really did love and hate how those bluish-grey eyes could take one glance and read him like an open book. "I love you, Senku, more than you could ever know. We don't have to be in a relationship if you're not ready. I don't have to be your boyfriend and vice versa if you're not sure if you really want to. Just know that I'm here for you, waiting for you until you can take the first step forward. That's all that matters, right?"
> 
> "Yeah," Senku murmured. Gen gave him one last grin before letting go of his face and saying goodbye.
> 
> Senku watched him leave, and he was content.


End file.
